Information for Property Owners

So Why choose Moor to Sea?

If you’re reading this, you’ve already taken the first step probably, of considering the purchase of a property within Devon.

This information should help any interested party to understand who we are, what we do, and how we can assist you in embarking on a new venture with a property purchased with the intention of letting it to holiday guests.

The income figures featured on this page are merely estimates based on averages for the area. The final costs and income achieved will depend on a number of factors for each individual unit, such as the way the property is furnished, whether the owner will consider short breaks, whether the property is pet friendly and even the quality of the linen used within the property.

Moor to Sea Homes Ltd is run by ourselves, Quintin and Dawn Smith (and assisted by our three children!). We’re married and have lived in South Devon for over a decade now. We moved to Devon initially to study at Plymouth University, and subsequently discovered the beauty of the surrounding area!

We truly love this beautiful county, and now feel privileged to be in a position where we can welcome visitors to this part of the world and assist in making their holidays as special as they can possibly be.

Moor to Sea is comprised of Moor to Sea Homes and Moor to Sea Holidays. Moor to Sea Homes focuses on the property management sector, working with an ever increasing number of property owners throughout South Devon, with whom we are able to build personal relationships and therefore offer each property the care and attention it deserves.

The services offered are tailored to each individual property, but range from gardening to caretaking checks and key-holding, maintenance to post holiday changeovers.

Moor to Sea Holidays focuses on the holiday letting industry.

With regards to letting a property, the industry is constantly evolving, more so in the past 2-3 years than ever before. This is due to the increasing importance of third party agencies in listing letting properties such as Homeaway, Holiday lettings, Booking.com and Airbnb.

Whilst the industry itself is relatively mature, the introduction of these large public companies to the sector has meant that we market properties in a different and more flexible way than would have previously been possible.

The industry itself, however, has now become more corporate; whilst now affording smaller companies significant opportunities, it has largely meant a far less personal and ‘faceless’ service is increasingly becoming the ‘norm’, where the importance of meeting certain legal criteria for a homeowner can become seemingly more important than the overall guest experience.

We are therefore excited to be able to be a part of these new opportunities, yet believe wholeheartedly in combining this with a level of customer service that many are no longer able to offer; whereby we achieve maximum results for the homeowner, by ensuring that the guest experience remains passionately at the heart of all that we do.

We are also aware that many letting agencies operate a very rigid letting criteria with their owners, which can at times leave the property owner questioning who is in fact in control of their property; we strive for flexibility and a personalised package.

We recognise that many owners like to use these newer opportunities in order to manage the letting aspect of a property themselves. This has become increasingly popular, but has also meant that far more self-catering breaks are available to potential guests than ever before.

We have also found that the increasing costs levied by the large public companies makes the process more difficult for individuals to market their own properties successfully, and at a cost that works for the property owner.

Due to our experience in the industry, we are proud to offer the complete package for a property owner, from managing an enquiry, through to the guest leaving the property at the end of their holiday.

We are also more than willing to work with a property owner who wishes to co-market their property with us.

With Moor to Sea, we also understand that property owners may wish to make use of their property several times throughout the year, therefore we impose absolutely no restrictions on when owners/ friends/ family may wish to enjoy their property.

If considering working with another letting agency, please do check out their restrictions for owners; you may be surprised at how little you are permitted to stay in your own property!

We manage every aspect of marketing a property for an owner, all at a very low commission of 18% on bookings. We offer the property owner free professional photography in order to maximise the potential letting opportunities.

We co-market our properties with a larger agency, and in turn then market each property using the relevant third party agencies suitable for the specific property (Airbnb, Ownersdirect, Holiday Lettings, Homeaway) all included within the commission fee, and also advertise increasingly with the use of social media.

More and more overseas visitors are now viewing the UK as a self-catering holiday destination of choice. At the time of writing (March 2016), we have already taken bookings for the coming season from guests in the US, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, The Netherlands, Germany and France.

The importance of being able to offer booking information in a number of different languages is therefore increasingly important to secure that next booking and to install confidence, something that we are able to do for our owners.

What We Offer

R

An outstanding personal level of service for the property owner and guest alike

R

Happy to work with you as owner in co-marketing the property to achieve maximum results

R

A non-exclusive contract with no penalty clauses or owner stay restrictions

R

Free professional photography

R

Only 18% commission on each booking achieved

R

Nothing to pay until a booking is confirmed

R

No additional marketing costs

R

Online booking and payment solutions

R

Personal contact with each and every guest

R

No initial setup fees

Marketing

As mentioned, we advertise properties across a number of third party websites nationally and internationally, such as Homeaway Europe and Holiday lettings own European marketing agencies.

This is increasingly important with more overseas bookings, however it’s also vitally important to focus on the different opportunities presented within the domestic market.

Whether a ‘family- friendly’ holiday is sought, a ‘romantic getaway’ is required, or an ‘activity break’ is searched for online, we are able to work with other partners to ensure your property is easy to find online.

We can also work with Visit England if required to achieve the highest possible star rating for each individual property.